Cafe Hon owner Denise Whiting owns the rights to Baltimore’s favorite term of endearment
By Jill Rosen, The Baltimore Sun, 12/9/2010
Denise Whiting has not only built her life around the fabled Balmer Hon, opening Cafe Hon and founding the city’s annual Honfest — she’s helped to make the three-letter term of endearment a household word around town.
Now she owns it.
Whiting has officially trademarked the word “Hon.” Over the years, she has trademarked almost every play on the word she could think of. Like the words “Cafe Hon” and “Honfest” and “Hon Bar” and “Hontown,” the name of her newest Hampden shop. She owns the image of the word captured in an oval, the way it appears on all those bumper stickers. And that’s just for starters.
She owns the rights to using “Hon” on napkins, note cards, stationery, calendars and pens. Without her permission, it can’t be used on sweatshirts, hats, underwear, ties, shorts — and certainly not boas.
Continue reading “Sorry, Hon, It’s Trademarked: Cafe Owner Owns Rights To Word” at The Baltimore Sun.
